Cradling The Cold
by itachikitsune
Summary: One of the guardians goes to see Jack soon after the mess with Pitch. What they find is a traumatized ice spirit. Can they show Jack that not everyone around him is wrapped in cruelty? Will he realize that someone does care and that he isn't just a burden to those around him?
1. Chapter 1

**( A.N Hey Itatchikitsune here, this is my first time writing for Rise Of The Guardians. I had a ball doing it, though sometimes it was nerve wracking. Enjoy, Itachikitsune.) **

Cradling The Cold

Bunny sighed as he thought about his actions during Easter towards a certain winter spirit. He'd been furious that Pitch had sent in his shadow army to destroy his eggs and in his anger, he'd exploded at Jack. Bunny thought at the time like everyone else had, that Jack had aligned himself with Pitch. That wasn't the case though. Now that Bunny thought back on it, he realized that when he'd screamed in Jack's face, that he'd been afraid Bunny was going to hit him.

As angry as Bunny could get at times, he would never hit a fellow guardian. Jack did get on Bunny's nerves from time to time, but he never messed with his Warren or anything associated with it. It was fine to have fun, but there were lines that should never be crossed and Jack knew that. He wouldn't like it if someone messed with his staff after all. Bunny shook his head and stood up on two legs. He needed to apologize to the winter spirit for his actions and make it clear that he was still his friend, and playful rival.

He walked slowly and then stopped before tapping his left hind leg on the ground. A hole appeared in front of him seconds later and he jumped into it head first. He landed on four paws and slid through the tunnel at a rapid pace. As Bunny waited for the right hole to appear, he thought back and realized that none of them had apologized to Jack for judging him without hearing his side of the story. That was wrong of them, more so on North's part as well as Bunny's.

Both of them had nearly endless patience for the tasks that needed completion on their separate holidays, yet they hadn't that same patience and exercised it with their new found friend. It was pathetic really, seeing as picking out presents for every single child as well as painting eggs was very time consuming. A semi frozen hole suddenly appeared in front of Bunny and he dove through it. He landed in soft snow on the other side and shivered at the rapid change in temperatures. He stood up on his hind legs and sniffed the air to find Jack's scent.

Bunny stiffened as he suddenly caught the scent of crisp, but cold wood, and he took off in the direction it was coming from. He soon spotted the winter spirit lounging against a snow mound and slowed his run to walk so he didn't startle Jack. He had snow covering him all the way up to his neck, much like a blanket. It surprised Bunny that he'd do that honestly, because as far as he knew, Jack didn't get cold. But then again, maybe he did and just didn't mention it.

Jack suddenly sat up and hissed in pain as the movement caused his broken ribs to be jarred. " You alright there Mate? You look like your in pain." said Bunny. Jack gasped in shock as he heard the Easter spirit's voice and his head snapped up. " What are you doing here Bunny?" asked Jack. " I came to apologize to you." said Bunny. " For what? You haven't done anything." said Jack. He hadn't, not as far as Jack was concerned. He _had_ exploded and gotten in Jack's face over his destroyed but still loved creations, and Jack couldn't blame him for it. The way that it looked from everyone else's perspective, was that Jack had gone to Pitch, and done it willingly.

" For snapping at you and getting in your face, I shouldn't have. I was mad, but I still should've had more control then that, I'm not a kit." said Bunny. " No, but you _are_ a rabbit and someone that you hadn't explicitly invited invaded your home and hurt your friends. You just went with your instincts, which is what anyone would have done. I'm not upset with you. You're the guardian of hope, but many seem to forget that you're also an animal. As one, you have instincts that are strong and are naturally going to be possessive of what's under your care." said Jack. Bunny stared at Jack, shock clear in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**( A.N. Hey, Itachikitsune here, I love Rise Of The Guardians. I've watched the movie three times and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. Enjoy this next chapter.)**

" No one else has ever noticed that about me, not even the others. Crikey Mate, you are just full of surprises." said Bunny. Jack chuckled at the surprise in Bunny's eyes and shook his head. " There are a lot of things that I don't know, but I am learning. Besides, its a little hard to miss." said Jack with a smile. " I really am sorry for getting up in your face like that. So, what happened after you left my Warren?" asked Bunny as he walked up and then sat down in front of Jack.

" Well, I dropped Sophie off at home and then was on my way back, when I heard a strange, but familiar voice. When I fallowed the sound, I ended up in Pitch's lair. All of Tooth's fairies were there so I went to set them free. Before I got to the cage they were in, Pitch materialized from the shadows and waved my tooth canister in front of me. He handed it to me and then I left and finally made it back to you guys. Now I realize why he gave it to me. I shouldn't have taken it." said Jack with a sigh.

Bunny reached up and took Jack's face in both paws. He watch as Jack tensed, unsure of what he was going to do. " I'm not going to hurt you Mate. You should've taken the canister, it was your memories after all." murmured Bunny. " No, I shouldn't of." said Jack. " Why?" asked Bunny. Jack's beautifully expressive eyes suddenly turned haunted and Bunny wondered if he was really up to hearing Jack's next words. Bunny stroked Jack's cheeks slowly and tilted his head up so he'd look directly at him.

" What happened Jack? What did Pitch do to you? I want to know." said Bunny softly. " It's scary." whispered Jack. " And that's OK. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows." murmured Bunny. " After I left your Warren, I went back to my lake and he appeared behind me. Pitch said he knew this would happen, that you guys would abandon me sooner or later. He also said that you never believed in me in the first place. I fought him and our powers when we flung them at each other, they merged. He asked what went better together then cold and dark. Pitch wanted me to join him and kept telling me that he knew what it was like to be abandoned and unloved. Then I tried to walk away and he showed me that he had Baby Tooth. I couldn't just let him keep her so I went to grab her. Pitch said that I couldn't have her unless I gave him my staff since I was such a thorn in his side when I had it. He said it was my source of power. Its not, though, it does give me the ability to ride the winds when I please." said Jack with a slight smile.

Bunny's eyes were huge as he stared at Jack, unable to believe that Pitch could go that far. " Then what happened?" whispered Bunny. He looked as if he didn't really want to know and Jack suddenly felt guilty for offloading his problems on the Easter Bunny. " You don't have to listen to this if you really don't want to." said Jack. He'd said the words that Bunny wanted to hear, but said animal could see the pain in his eyes the minute the words had left his mouth. It suddenly struck Bunny that Jack wasn't used to people listening to him at all and he felt horrible for even thinking about the idea of running to the nearest rabbit hole because he didn't want to hear the rest of a scary story.

He'd fought Pitch for crying out loud, and still lived to twitch his fluffy little cotton tail! A story shouldn't be enough to send him scampering off. Bunny was snapped out of his thoughts when cold hands suddenly covered his paws that were still on his fellow guardian's cheeks. " I'm sorry." said Jack. Bunny tightened his grip gently on Jack's face and shook his head. " Don't be. You warned me that it was going to be scary, and if I really didn't want to hear it, I should've left before you started to tell me." said Bunny.

A warm feeling blossomed in Jack's chest due to the Easter Bunny's words, and. unbeknownst to said ice spirit, a smile had stretched across his face. " What else happened?" asked Bunny. " I couldn't let him have Baby Tooth so I gave him my staff, thinking that he'd hand her over in return. I was wrong." whispered Jack.


	3. Chapter 3

If it were possible, Jack's eyes became haunted further and filled with hurt. " I'm going to take a guess and say he didn't do business like a civilized person would've." said Bunny. Jack laughed brokenly and Bunny went back to stroking his cheeks. He'd stopped when Jack had told him he didn't have to listen to what he had to say. " No, he didn't. I gave him my staff and then he threw Baby Tooth. She hit a wall and he sent his nightmare sand after me in a surge I wasn't expecting. It hit me and I slammed into the side of the chasm before sliding down til' I landed in a heap in the middle. He threw Baby Tooth down with me." said Jack.

Bunny gasped in shock and really took a good look at Jack once he'd finished talking. Bunny did not like what he saw at all. Jack honestly looked as if he heart had been removed from his chest, sliced to pieces, and then handed to him, one bit at a time. " There's something you left out Cobalt. What was it?" asked Bunny. He kept his tone soft and gentle, the way he would with a new eggling that was afraid to get painted.

" He broke my staff and then he threw it into the chasm with me. The voice I'd heard, the canister, it was all a ploy to get you guys to think that I was on his side. If I hadn't taken that canister, this never would've happened." said Jack. The pain in his voice and the pure agony in his eyes made Bunny want to envelop him in a never ending hug. " Again, I'm so sorry." whispered Jack. Bunny shook his head and dropped his hands from Jack's face, only to reach into the snow and put his hands on his fellow guardian's waist.

Bunny gently pulled him out of the snow and sat him down in front of him. He then did something that shocked Jack speechless. Bunny wrapped his arms around Jack in a hug and pulled him up against his chest. " Don't you dare apologize for what happened to you. It isn't your fault Mate, its Pitch's." said Bunny vehemently. " I should've known it was a trap though. It was too easy getting into his lair and it shouldn't have been." said Jack. He sounded frustrated with himself and Bunny sighed, wishing he could drag Pitch out of where ever he was hiding and beat him to a bloody pulp for hurting Jack like this.

" Cobalt, Pitch is the literal embodiment of people's fears and nightmares. That's how he came to be and he used your fears against you. It was sick, and twisted, and I wished he'd never hurt you in the first place, but it did happen. You though, you didn't lose hope. You brought proof to Jamie about our existence and made him believe. We weren't even there to help you until almost the very end. It was you who saved the day Jack, not us. What he did to you helped you confront your fear of him and made you stronger." said Bunny.

" Pitch tricked me though. Tricks are supposed to be funny." said Jack. He sounded so hurt and it shocked Bunny that Jack could feel so betrayed by something that the king of all things black had done. " You hoped that he would be genuine if you gave in didn't you?" asked Bunny gently. " Yes I did. How could he be so cruel?" asked Jack. " I don't know, Cobalt." murmured Bunny. Jack wrapped his arms around Bunny and shook. " Its alright, let it out Little Ice Child." murmured Bunny. Jack did and the sound of his sobs were terrible. They were absolutely heart wrenching and made Bunny tighten his grip just a smidge.

Bunny slowly rocked Jack back and forth and just let him cry. He finally stopped crying two and a half hours later and dropped his arms from around Bunny's waist. Jack scooted back a bit from Bunny without breaking his hold on him and looked up at him. " Thank you. Thank you for listening, for caring, for willingly touching me." said Jack. Bunny was once again reminded that Jack hadn't had contact with anyone for three hundred years.


	4. Chapter 4

The only time he'd had physical contact with someone was when he'd taken Sophie home, and later when Jamie had hugged him. " Don't thank me for what should've been done a long time ago. We shouldn't have ignored you for so long." said Bunny. " Its OK though, because something good came out of it." said Jack. " What could've possibly came out of three hundred years of isolation that was good Cobalt?" asked Bunny. " I learned be resourceful and independent." said Jack. " You shouldn't have had to be. We were always there and should've came to at least check on you from time to time. We knew about you, we just didn't want to get to know you because we thought you didn't take anything seriously." said Bunny.

" I understand where you'd get that notion, I really do. I am still a kid after all and I can be irresponsible at times." said Jack. " It was still wrong no matter how old you are. Can I ask you something?" asked Bunny. " Shoot." said Jack. " Can I clean your face?" asked Bunny. Jack's eyes widened and his face suddenly went down in embarrassment. " You don't have to waste your time doing something so trivial for someone like me." said Jack. " I want to, and I don't see it as a waste of time to help one of my own." murmured Bunny. Jack blushed bright red and a small smile appeared on his face. His eyes held a small amount of surprise as he gazed at Bunny and said guardian sighed sadly.

Jack shouldn't have been so hesitant to accept someone's blunt, blatant love. If the nickname Ice Child didn't give away how much he cared for Jack, he didn't know what did. Jack's head slowly came up and he slowly locked eyes with Bunny. " Are you serious about cleaning away my tears?" asked Jack. " Yes Cobalt, I am." said Bunny. " No tricks, right?" asked Jack. His voice sounded so small and uncertain. " None. I would never joke when you've opened your heart to me so much and let me hold you while you cried." said Bunny.

Jack slowly nodded and Bunny dropped his arms. He brought his paws up to Jack's shoulders and gently pushed him backwards until he was laid out on his back in the snow. " I really am sorry for irritating you so much." said Jack. " That wasn't your fault Cobalt, it was mine. I misjudged you horribly and made assumptions about you when I hadn't know you for years." said Bunny. " You know, for a bunny that can get super small, you've got quite a temper." said Jack.

" Oi, this rabbit still has some pep in his step." said Bunny. Jack grinned and then snickered as he thought of Bunny munching on a candy cane. " What?" asked Bunny. " Oh nothing." said Jack with a cheeky grin. " So, I think I know how your going to clean the tears off my face." said Jack in a serious tone. Any humor that had been in the air disappeared. " Does it make you uncomfortable? If it does I don't have to." said Bunny. " A little, but I wouldn't mind if you still wanted to do this." said Jack. " I promise I won't bite your little button noise." said Bunny.

The small joke managed to relax Jack somewhat and he grinned. " I do need you to do something for me though Cobalt." said Bunny. " What?" asked Jack. He suddenly sounded nervous and Bunny squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. " I need you to close your eyes Cobalt, I'm sure you don't want my tongue in your eyes. I don't want my tongue in your eyes either." said Bunny. Jack sighed in relief as he heard the small request and slowly closed his eyes.

Bunny suddenly shrunk down to the size of a baby rabbit before he moved so he was sitting on Jack's stomach. He then leaned forward til' his face was over his fellow guardian's. Bunny slowly started licking Jack's face, avoiding his lips, eyes, and nose. Over and over again he cleaned his face. It also had the added bonus of calming him down. Bunny was showing Jack without words that he'd be there for him and that he could be trusted to hold him without causing him anymore harm of any sort. Bunny felt Jack sag underneath him as he lost all tension and allowed himself to mentally smile. Twenty minutes went by before Bunny stopped licking him and moved down so his head was level with Jack's neck. He nuzzled his neck slowly and Jack giggled as the cold nose moved every couple of minutes.

" Your nose tickles." said Jack. Bunny could tell he was smiling without having to look at him. Suddenly Bunny stiffened as he felt something land on the back of his head and a small growl slipped past his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**( A.N. Hey Itachikitsune here, this is a bit of an AU story due to the fact that Bunny retains his shrinking ability and it doesn't just go away like it does in the movie. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

" Easy Fuzzy, it's just my hand. I can take it off if it bugs you." said Jack. " You don't have to, I just wasn't expecting you to put your hand there." said Bunny. " Looks like I'm not the only one that got gypped out of love. No one's ever pet you have they?" asked Jack softly. " Cobalt, do I look domesticated to you?" asked Bunny. " No, but that doesn't mean that you don't want to know what it's like to be pet. You are not just a guardian, you're also a rabbit." said Jack. " You make it sound like there's nothing wrong with that." said Bunny. " There isn't. You're entitled to be pet and there's nothing wrong with secretly wanting to be touched." said Jack.

With those parting words, Jack slowly started to stroke his fellow guardian's head, gentle as can be. Bunny hadn't been tense, but as Jack continued to pet him nicely, he turned into a puddle of goo. He was almost falling asleep due to Jack's ministrations. " OK, you need to stop now or I'm going to fall asleep on you." said Bunny. Jack chuckled and Bunny felt his body spasm in pain. " Jack, are you alright?" asked Bunny. " No, Pitch really bruised my back and broke at least four ribs. We did only fight him two nights ago after all." said Jack. " You're lucky it was only four Mate." said Bunny.

" True." said Jack. He took his hand off Bunny's head and he jumped off his stomach to the ice. Once there, Bunny grew back to his regular size and watched as Jack sat up with a hiss. Snow immediately piled behind him in a small mound and Bunny suddenly realized why Jack had been leaning against one when he'd first came. " Can I do anything to help you Cobalt?" asked Bunny. " I need my staff, but you don't have to get that." said Jack. Bunny looked around to see where the piece of wood was, shocked when his saw it sticking out of a mound of snow a little ways away from Jack, but still in sight. Only the hook was visible, and Bunny wondered why Jack didn't have it right next to him.

" Wind, a little help?" asked Jack. A gentle gust of wind suddenly had Jack on his feet and he stretched out his hand for his staff. His hand closed around the ancient wood a second later and Bunny watched as Jack tried not to double over due to the pain. The wind seemed to be supporting him and Bunny walked around to stand in front of him. " Take my staff please and point the hook part at my left side." said Jack. He flipped the staff over so the bottom was held out to Bunny and then let go. Bunny took it and did as Jack asked, shocked when he heard ice start spreading on Jack's sides and back. " OK, that's enough. Thank you." said Jack. Bunny nodded and then flipped the staff around, handing it back to Jack.

The wind slowly started to dissipate around Jack and Bunny caught him by the shoulders as he fell forward. " Whoa there Cobalt, take it easy." said Bunny as gently lowered him to his knees and then did the same in front of him. " Can I ask you something?" asked Jack. " Shoot." said Bunny. " Why do you keep calling me Cobalt? I mean, Ice Child makes sense, but Cobalt, that's clear out in left field." said Jack. " Not really. Your eyes are a beautiful stunning shade of blue and they remind me of Cobalt. It fits you." said Bunny. The shock on Jack's face would've been laughable, if Bunny didn't know just how rare a compliment was, especially one given to the young ice spirit by him no less.

" Why do you feel so protective of me? I mean, two nights ago, we were rivals and ribbing each other enough to be toeing the line between funny and just plain rude." said Jack. " Over the course of that night, we started out hating each other, as time went on, I lost that hate and started to really bond with you. Blame it on the instincts if you really need something concrete." said Bunny. " I don't need something concrete. You've made it very clear that you're protective of me and I'm comfortable with it. Its nice to be valued, touched gently." said Jack. " Always from me. Me calling you Ice Child doesn't bug you does it?" asked Bunny. " No, but you said taking care of one of your own earlier wasn't a problem. We're not that close are we? I certainly don't mind if we are." said Jack. " But you're wondering why I'm acting like you're one of my egglings and I've just met you." said Bunny.


	6. Chapter 6

" Yeah, pretty much." said Jack. " When I first met you when you were dragged to the pole, I felt something stir inside me. Protectiveness, but I didn't know why until I saw Pitch go after you the couple of times we fought him together. You were terrified of him, you laughed it off and made jokes, but you were scared. I could see it in your eyes and then when Sandy left us and you went for Pitch with the pure rage of someone who'd lost a close friend, I realized then that you did care. Then again when you restored the kids' belief in us, I knew how much we mattered to you." said Bunny.

Jack's face showed shock once again as well as amazement and Bunny brought him into another gentle hug. " Not only that, but you're also a kid so that kind of softened me towards you." murmured Bunny. " But I don't need protection, not really." said Jack. " No, but it's not a crime to have someone in your corner who'll look after you when you want it." said Bunny.

" How safe is it really, to have someone in my corner when they can turn on me the minute they get bored? I'm not saying that you would, but I do have the ability to irritate people til' their ready to get rid of me by any means necessary." said Jack. Bunny's eyes filled with sadness at Jack's words and more then just a little hurt. He understood what Jack was saying and what he wasn't, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The winter spirit had been so gruesomely wronged over the span of many years. It was to the point that he could no longer trust other people and it was painful to see. Now, because of all the damage that had been done, Bunny's genuine attempts at loving him were met with skepticism and fear. Jack was afraid that if he let someone close, past his walls, that they'd hurt him. That'd already happened once with all the guardian's having a hand in it, and Bunny would be darned if it happened again, especially by his paws.

" kids can be irritating, but that doesn't mean you should push them away because you're fed up. It just means you need a little break from them so you don't accidentally say something you don't mean. No matter how much you irritate someone, they shouldn't ever distance themselves to the point where you have to question weather they love you or not. That's not how family works." said Bunny.

" I wouldn't know about that, not really. All I've got to go on is my memories." said Jack. " I can teach you if you'll let me." said Bunny. " About what?" asked Jack. Bunny dropped his arms from around Jack and then grabbed his shoulders, pushing him back just enough so he could see his face. The sudden eye contact made Jack a bit uncomfortable and Bunny gave him a soft smile. " How family works." said Bunny. " I'd like that. I can't say that I'll be open to everything your going to show me though, so I'm apologizing in advance." said Jack softly.

It was as if he was afraid Bunny would hear them. " I don't expect you to be open to everything, you've been hurt too much for that." said Bunny. " Unfortunately, that hurt isn't going away anytime soon." said Jack. He sounded so bitter and angry about it that it made Bunny's heart pulse with hurt. His paws suddenly left Jack's shoulders and moved to his cheeks. He held him gently and tilted his face up so he had no choice but to look in his eyes. " Jack, the kind of trauma you've been through isn't going to go away in a week or even a month. Heck it may not disappear in the next ten decades, but that's OK." said Bunny.

" How is that even remotely OK? The longer it takes for me to get over this, the longer it'll take for you to love me. No one can love a cracked piece of pottery when it's supposed to be flawless." whispered Jack. " Oh but I do, Little Ice Child. I love you with all my heart and that isn't going to change because you've been hurt. Family doesn't choose the undamaged members over the hurt ones, they love them all with no qualms. I'm here for the long haul, or at least as long as you want me." said Bunny. " I think I can deal with that." said Jack with a small smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Bunny nuzzled Jack's face in response and the winter spirit giggled. Bunny grinned when he heard that and Jack tried to stop. Bunny shook his head as he watched Jack try to stop something that all kids did freely. It wasn't right that Jack was so afraid to show Bunny how much he made him happy. He wasn't having Jack clam up out of embarrassment, so he dropped his paws from his face. There was split second that pain showed in his eyes and Bunny gnashed his teeth in fury. Jack was so touch starved that he soaked up any physical contact like a sponge.

But then again, what do you expect when no one's touched him in three hundred years. " I'm not going to tease you for laughing Cobalt, I'm smiling because you _did_ laugh. I've only heard you laugh freely a handful of times. I'd like to hear it more often to be honest." said Bunny. Jack's eyes went down at Bunny's words and said rabbit put his paws back on the young winter spirit's cheeks. He tilted his face back up to look at him and Bunny was surprised to see tears brimming in his eyes.

" Hey, what's going on in that clever little head of yours?" asked Bunny gently. " Just thinking that I haven't had many good chances to genuinely laugh." said Jack. " True, you have been alone for three hundred years, and the only time you've been able to laugh is around the kids that you've helped." said Bunny. Jack shook his head at Bunny in denial. He could hear the anger in his words directed at himself for all the years of isolation he'd had a hand in giving Jack due to the guardians thinking he was too much of a child to handle the responsibilities of being a guardian.

" I don't blame you for keeping your distance from me. You saw me as a liability because I didn't take anything seriously and in our jobs, we can't afford to mess up. Not if Pitch comes back, or if another threat arises. I messed up once and you all got hurt because of it." said Jack. " Not your fault, Ice Child. He played us like a well tuned violin and we fell right into his trap. All of us, not just you." said Bunny. " I still messed up though." said Jack. " Yeah, you did, but who honestly doesn't? Also, you should take into account that you've never been a guardian before. The rest of us have years of experience under our belts that you don't have." said Bunny. Jack had to crack a smile at Bunny's logic and leaned into the paws still holding his face. Jack reached up and gently dug his fingers into the fur on Bunny's cheek. Said bunny playfully growled, though he didn't move his face away from Jack's scratching fingers. A couple of minutes went by before Jack dropped his hand from Bunny's cheek.

" My goodness you are a fuzz ball." said Jack. " I'm a rabbit Mate, your not going to be able to get away from the fur. If you don't like it, you could always get a hairless cat." said Bunny. " Uh no. I'm very attached to the furry rabbit thank you very much, and besides, they don't like me." said Jack. Bunny snickered and Jack arched an eyebrow. " Why is that funny?" asked Jack." I'm sorry, but you walked right into that one." said Bunny, as he tried to get his snickering under control.

He was surprised when Jack flinched at his words and the humor that had been there suddenly dissipated like steam hitting cold air. " I didn't mean to hurt your feelings Little One." said Bunny.

" You didn't." said Jack. " Then why did you flinch Cobalt?" asked Bunny. " Just when you said I walked right into the joke. I don't like that expression." said Jack. " Its because of Pitch right?" asked Bunny. " Yes, but there's another reason." sad Jack. He sounded sick to his stomach as he said the words and the feeling of dread that Bunny had felt earlier was back again.

" What else could've happen to you My Little Ice Child, besides the pain we've already inflicted on you?" asked Bunny. There was still pain in Bunny's voice and it bothered Jack immensely. He never wanted to be the cause of anyone's pain, let alone someone who was willing to apologize for people who were in the wrong and not there at the present moment.

Not only that, but he admitted to being wrong in how he treated Jack, was willing to admit feelings he'd otherwise denied, and was willing to try and fix his past mistakes. " Bunny, please stop feeling guilty about what you did to me. I understand." said Jack. " You may understand, but that doesn't make it right, what we did." said Bunny.


	8. Chapter 8

" No it doesn't, but at least your trying to fix your mistake. Don't apologize for the others, they need to come to me and do it themselves." said Jack. " Thank you Jack, but I hurt you, badly." said Bunny.

" You did yes, but you apologized." said Jack. " No amount of apology can fix the crack I made when I first met you. Throwing the fact that no one believed in you back in your face was going too far. I was angry the moon had chosen you, that was the only reason I'd said it." said Bunny. " Yeah, I'm not going to pretend that didn't sting there Cotton Tail. You regret it though, I know you do. You coming over here and freezing your fur proves that. It also proves that you care." said Jack.

" I do care about you." said Bunny. " As if the many nicknames don't give it away as well as you admitting that you love me." teased Jack.

" Your hilarious Mate, really." said Bunny. " I'm the Guardian Of Fun, I have to utilize my talents somewhere." said Jack. Bunny snorted and finally dropped his paws from Jack's cheeks. The minute he had, Jack sighed. Bunny wrapped his arms around Jack and brought him back against his chest. Jack buried his face in the soft fur and Bunny felt thin cold arms wrap around his waist. " This is embarrassing Cotton Tail." mumbled Jack. " What is, that you like being touched? It shouldn't be." said Bunny. " It is though, you don't need to be touched all the time." said Jack.

" No, but that doesn't mean I don't like it when someone decides to. You told me earlier that you liked being touched gently, and I would think that you would after no contact with anyone for so long." said Bunny.

" I shouldn't be this dependent on you though." said Jack. " We're family Jack, I'm here for you in whatever way you need me. Even if it means I spend every day holding you. Don't be embarrassed about your needs." said Bunny.

" This isn't a need." said Jack. " Yes it is Cobalt. After so many years in isolation, you've become touch starved. Now that you've had a taste of what its like to be touched by people, you need to have someone touching you on a regular basis." said Bunny. " I do not. This is just me being selfish." said Jack.

" You are the most selfless person I know Cobalt. You're actually a better guardian then the rest of us." said Bunny.

" I'm not selfless." said Jack. " Yes you are. We all gave up on you and instead of wallowing in the pain you obviously felt, you worked your butt off trying to get the last kid to believe in all of us. You've could've just gotten him to believe in only you, but you didn't. You included all of us and that isn't being selfish." said Bunny. " No, but what I'm doing here is." said Jack.

" You think your being selfish because you want to stay here in my arms?" asked Bunny. " Aren't I? I'm pretty sure you don't want to stay here for the rest of eternity." said Jack. " No, wanting to enjoy something you've never had is _not_ being selfish Little One." said Bunny. The conviction lacing his words made a warm feeling spread inside of Jack.

" Alright I'll give you that one, but you are slightly wrong." said Jack. " About what?" asked Bunny. " The fact that I have to have contact on a regular basis." said Jack. " You do." said Bunny. " No, I don't." said Jack.

" Your comfortable where you are. Do you really want to hurt yourself by testing this theory right now?" asked Bunny.

" I won't be hurt." said Jack.

" OK, then I'm going to let go of you for a second." said Bunny. He dropped his arms and scooted back a bit. Jack smiled a bit to show that he was fine, but as the minutes ticked by and Bunny made no move to come closer once again, the smile slowly dropped off his face.

" I don't understand." whispered Jack. The confusion lacing his tone and the lost look in his eyes made Bunny scoot forward again and wrap his arms around him. Jack settled against his chest and the tension that had appeared once he'd let go, disappeared in an instant. " My Little Ice Child, the pain your feeling isn't physical, its emotional." said Bunny.

" I still don't get it." said Jack.


	9. Chapter 9

**( A.N. Hey Itachikitsune here, I apologize for those of you who keep reading chapter eight and finding things have changed slightly each time. I've corrected it multiple times because I kept finding mistakes that I didn't see initially. Hopefully, this will be the last time you see any changes on that particular chapter. Enjoy this next one.)**

" People touching you now, brings you a comfort, where before you didn't even know that touching could be a good thing. You knew from watching kids interact with their families but you never got the chance to experience it yourself." said Bunny. " How'd you know that I was in pain?" whispered Jack.

" I could see it in your eyes. At first you were fine when I let go of you, but then time went on and you looked incredibly hurt. You were wrestling with your habit of being independent and your instincts telling you to let go and just enjoy something that everyone else has taken for granted." said Bunny.

" Your right, I felt upset when you let go of me. It was like you suddenly hated me and I know you didn't, but I couldn't reconcile the loving version of you with the twisted version that suddenly became present when you let go of me." said Jack. " I could tell that you didn't know how to handle it. Emotions are funny things like that." said Bunny.

They sat in silence for a while and Jack snuggled into his fuzzy parental figure. Ten minutes went by before someone spoke. " You still awake Cobalt, or did you fall asleep on me?" asked Bunny. " I'm awake and your fuzzy." said Jack.

" So I've been told." said Bunny. His Australian drawl was thick and Jack could hear the amusement lacing his tone.

" You said earlier that the phrase, 'you walked right into it,' bothers you. Can you tell me why?" asked Bunny softly. Jack shuddered against Bunny's chest and right away, he knew that whatever he was about to tell him was going to be so much worse then the story he'd told him about Pitch.

" You don't have to tell me My Little Ice Child, not if you don't want to." said Bunny. " I want you to know. You've given me everything I didn't know I needed until now." said Jack. " What happened to make you hate that phrase so much?" asked Bunny. " My tooth canister, Baby Tooth dug it out of my pocket after Pitch sent me over the side of that chasm and we landed in the middle." said Jack. " What did you see in your recovered memories?" asked Bunny. He had a funny feeling that they had something to do with Jack disliking that phrase.

" I had a family. Two sisters, a brother, and a mother. I liked to have fun then, as much as I do now. I took one of my youngest sisters out and my mom told us to be careful because she knew where we were going. We came to this lake and it was iced over. We shouldn't have really been out here because the ice was so thin, but we went anyway. My sister wound up in the middle of the ice and it started to crack. She was freaking out and I knew that if she panicked further that she might cause herself to fall in, so I did what I do best. I distracted her." said Jack.

" So what did you do to distract her?" asked Bunny.

" I played a game of Hopscotch with her. I went to get my staff before I attempted to get her since I knew it would give me better range. Not only that, but I knew that if I tried to grab her without it, that the combined weight of us might make the ice crack. With each step I got closer to her, until I could reach out with my staff. I hooked it around her and swapped our places. Some of the patches of ice were thicker then others. Turns out the momentum I'd used to do it was too much. I landed in the exact same spot she'd been in and the ice shattered beneath me. I fell in and stayed there for a long time before I heard the calling of the moon right before I met you guys." said Jack.

Horror swept through Bunny's body as he realized what Jack wasn't saying. " Oh My Little Ice Child, no wonder you hate that phrase. You died and then you became a guardian." said Bunny. " Yes I did. The rest of you didn't do that did you?" asked Jack. " No, we didn't." said Bunny. His hold became tighter and he could feel Jack starting to shake minutely in his arms.

" I died Cotton Tail, to become a guardian." whispered Jack brokenly.

" I know you did. Its OK to cry Little One especially about this." murmured Bunny. " There's one more thing Bunny." said Jack. " What is it Cobalt?" asked Bunny. He knew something more then what Jack had already told him was bothering him due to the fact that Jack had not once used his actual name until now.

" My sister saw me fall in." whispered Jack.

" Oh, Little one." murmured Bunny.

He felt sick to his stomach at Jack's words and knew the little winter spirit felt even worse. It was one thing to be in a scary situation by yourself and then get rescued, but then to have the same person who saved you get hurt because they swapped places, that was even worse. What made it even more agonizing was the fact that they had been siblings.

That atrocious mess on the ice that day would fallow Jack's sister for the rest of her life. Much like a shadow, it would always be there. Lurking silently like poison slowly seeping into her bones without her knowledge.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack's shaking got worse after that and Bunny very gently rocked him back and forth, mindful of his broken ribs. He was back to sobbing for the second time that day and Bunny did his very best not to fallow his lead. The things the winter spirit had endured in the short time they'd known each other, and before, was absolutely heartbreaking. Four hours went by before Jack was finally able to stop crying. Though not once, did Bunny ever loosen his grip.

" Feeling better Cobalt?" asked Bunny. " Yes thank you." said Jack. " Your welcome." said Bunny. He could feel Jack getting heavier as time went on and knew that he was exhausted. " Why do I feel so tired?" asked Jack.

" You've gotten the things bothering you off your chest. Keeping things bottled up isn't healthy My Little Ice Child." said Bunny.

" I know. You being there for me is going to take some getting used to." said Jack. " I'd expect it will. I won't be upset with you if you don't come to me for something that you need." said Bunny.

" Thank you for being so understanding Cotton Tail." said Jack. Bunny nodded and loosened his grip when he felt Jack trying to move. He heard him gasp and his head snapped down to look at him. " Are your ribs bothering you still?" asked Bunny. " It isn't my ribs. Remember how I told you that Pitch broke my staff?" asked Jack. " Yes, why?" asked Bunny.

" When my staff gets broken, I start to get warm. On top of that, my ice powers go haywire. I can't control what freezes and I can't ride the wind at all." said Jack.

" You're in a quite a bit of danger without that staff." said Bunny.

" Yes I am, I might as well be blind." said Jack.

Bunny reached up with a paw and rested it on the back of Jack's neck. " I hope you never lose it again to someone else, but if you do, I'm here to help you." said Bunny. " I know Cotton Tail. Your loyal til' the end aren't you?" teased Jack.

" Oi, loyalty's a good thing there Mate." said Bunny. " I know, I just didn't think I'd ever be the one to have _anyone's_ loyalty since I annoy people so much." said Jack. Bunny could hear how unsure Jack was at having someone defend him and he pulled away from him just enough to be able to look down at him. Bunny kept his hand on the back of his neck though and Jack looked up him. " Your not going to start using the fact I haven't been touched in so long against me are you?" asked Jack.

" I would never do something so sick. And your not annoying Cobalt. You like to have fun and there's nothing wrong with that." said Bunny.

Jack smiled and then snuggled back down into his chest. Bunny tightened his arms once again and then thought about what Jack told him. He needed that staff to survive and it scared Bunny that an object so valuable could be ruined so easily. " The rest of us don't have the same attachment to our weapons as you do to your staff." said Bunny.

" Why though? You should. I'm positive your weapons mean just as much as my staff does to me." said Jack.

" They do, but our weapons were giving to us by the man in the moon. You actually made yours before you became a guardian and then kept it throughout all this craziness. The reason you have so much pain when you lose it, is because you put your heart into making it. There's never been someone like you before." said Bunny.

" What do you mean?" asked Jack. " No one else has ever made their weapon before becoming a guardian." said Bunny. " Oh." said Jack. He sounded down and Bunny's heart ached. " But you know what My Little Ice Child?" asked Bunny.

" What?" asked Jack. " What you did makes you special, even among guardians." said Bunny. " Great, another thing that makes me stick out like Pitch." said Jack. " Hey, you don't stick out. I'm very proud of you Cobalt. Though, I am a little worried." said Bunny. " About what?" asked Jack. " You said that you get warm when your staff's broken. Just how warm do you get?" asked Bunny. " Well I felt a lot of heat when Pitch broke it. It was broke for about five minutes so I'd say I get about eighty degrees warmer once it's in two pieces. The heat starts spreading inside and then I start feeling hot on the outside. If I'm in a cold spot, it helps." said Jack.


	11. Chapter 11

**( A.N. Hey Itachikitsune here, in case you are wondering why I keep going back to fix chapters repeatedly, it is because of something Fanfiction does. When someone's talking at the end of a paragragh, the starting quotes are on one line and the talking bumps down to another line. it drives me crazy to see that, so I try to fix that before I post the chapters. I hope that makes sense and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.)**  
" If your not though, then you're in a lot of trouble." said Bunny. " As far as I know yes. Since it only happened once, I don't really know all the details about what could happen. Sorry." said Jack.

" Don't apologize for the things you don't know. No one knows everything My Little Ice Child and that's OK." said Bunny.

" Is it though? When I don't know things, people get hurt." said Jack. " Your talking about when you learned from Pitch about how there's a catch with becoming a guardian." said Bunny. " Yes. I know North can be a little oblivious, but I should've know that straight from the beginning." said Jack. " Yes you should've. Cobalt, why is it that I was able to wield your staff? It shouldn't have been possible since its yours." said Bunny. " Your right, but there's one reason you could." said Jack. " What is it?" asked Bunny.

" I trust you completely not to abuse the power it has. See, my staff is basically a conduit. It helps me control my powers, but whenever I let go of it, some of my power still remains inside the staff." said Jack.

" That's incredible Cobalt. I'm glad you trust me." said Bunny. Jack could hear the shock lacing Bunny's tone and tightened his grip on his waist. " Well Cotton Tail, you've proven to me that you can be trusted with me when I'm vulnerable. Not only that, but I know I have nothing to be afraid of if I do come to you. It doesn't even have to be for emergencies." said Jack. Bunny could hear how unsure Jack sounded about the last sentence and he squeezed the back of his neck in reassurance.

" You can pop into my Warren anytime My Little Ice Child. Just try not to land on any of my eggs." said Bunny.

" I would never do something like that." said Jack. " I know you wouldn't, you might be crushing a sibling." said Bunny. Jack giggled and Bunny smiled. Twenty minutes later, Bunny could feel Jack getting heavier and he shifted a bit to make himself comfortable. If Jack managed to fall asleep where he was, Bunny knew he was going to be there for a while.

" Hey Cotton Tail, what's it like to warm?" asked Jack. His voice was sleepy sounding and Bunny tried to hold in his laughter. " Its nice, I thought you couldn't be warm though." said Bunny.

" A little warmth won't hurt me, I don't think." said Jack. " Well tell you what My Little Ice Child. How about we go back to my Warren and we figure just how much warmth you can handle?" asked Bunny softly. " I'd like that." said Jack.

" Alright, you have to let go of my waist though." said Bunny. Jack did as he was told and Bunny switched his grip so he was cradled like a baby in his arms. Bunny stood up and Jack's staff floated off the snow covered ground. Bunny slowly started walking after that.

Jack went ramrod straight in his arms Bunny looked down at him. " Easy Cobalt, I promise I won't drop you. I'm doing this since it would be easier to slid down one of my tunnels with you in my arms instead of you sliding down on your own. Not only that, but your ribs are still broken and I can't imagine that it'll feel good to slid down a bumpy tunnel with broken ribs." said Bunny. " It wouldn't, but this is new to me. I've never been carried." said Jack. " I'll be careful." said Bunny. Jack slowly relaxed in Bunny's arms and he started walking again. Eventually he got to where he'd enter from and tapped his left hind leg on the ground twice. A hole opened and tightened his grip on Jack.

" You ready Mate? This is going to be a wild ride." said Bunny.

" I'm ready. Just try not to drop me at the end of the tunnel would you?" asked Jack. " I'll do my best. If I do, I'll at least soften your landing." said Bunny. " Thanks Cotton Tail. Though landing on you would be pretty soft." said Jack with a grin. " Oh really Little One?" asked Bunny with a mischievous smile. " Cotton Tail, what are you going to do?" asked Jack. Suspicion laced his tone and Bunny just smirked wider before suddenly jumping down the rabbit hole with no warning. Jack screamed before wrapping his arms in a vice like grip around Bunny's neck.


	12. Chapter 12

**( A.N. Hey Itachikitsune here, if you can't tell already, I love the Easter Bunny. I also love the interactions between him and Jack in the movie. Oh, I looked up Bunny's actual name and there is no way I can use that in a story without laughing, so I just shorted it to Bunny. He's got a sweet nature, a big heart, and lets face it, who the heck can't adore a six foot bunny rabbit who's a giant fuzz ball? I mean really. Not only that, but the Australian accent makes him even better. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.)**

They flew down the tunnel at a breakneck pace and Bunny had to keep adjusting his grip ever so slightly since he was holding Jack. Not only that, but he was sliding down the tunnel on two legs and not his usual four. Jack slowly relaxed into the fall and loosened his grip just a bit. Four minutes later, they popped out of the hole and landed in the middle of the Warren. Bunny had landed on two legs and stopped for a second to catch his breath.

" That was foul Fuzz Ball, it really was." said Jack. " It was not. You enjoyed that once you got used to it." said Bunny.

" I did not." said Jack with a smile. Bunny rolled his eyes at Jack and slowly started walking into one of the big tunnels in the Warren.

" Where are we going?" asked Jack.

" You didn't think I slept in the middle of the Warren with the stone eggs and the egglings did you?" asked Bunny.

" Yeah kind of." said Jack.

A few minutes later, they came out of the dark tunnel and entered a room with a bed in it. Bunny walked to the bed and laid Jack down on it gently. " I'll be right back, I'm going to go get a blanket." said Bunny. He disappeared through the tunnel he'd just came through and came back a few seconds later with a semi thick quilt in hand.

He went to the bed and sat down next to Jack and crossed his legs. " I've got a quilt here and I'd like to wrap you up in it. It isn't too thick so you shouldn't feel uncomfortable, but if you do, let me know and I'll get you out of it." said Bunny. " OK." said Jack. He was laid out on his side and Bunny stood up. He turned to face the bed and he shook out the quilt. He laid it down next to Jack on the bed and moved him over onto it. Once Jack was on it, Bunny quickly swaddled him like a baby. When he got done, Jack was laid out on his side with his arms gently pinned underneath the blanket and Bunny laid down next to him on his side so he was facing him. " So how does it feel?" asked Bunny.

" It feels nice. Is it always this warm in the Warren?" asked Jack. " Yes, it's not too much is it?" asked Bunny. " No. I can see why kids like to be wrapped up in blankets all the time." said Jack. " Not just the younger kids like being wrapped up in blankets. The older ones do it too." said Bunny. There wasn't a tense part anywhere in Jack's body and a realization suddenly struck Bunny. He had never once seen Jack completely relaxed in all time he'd know him except when he'd been in Antarctica. It bothered him that Jack hadn't been able to experience what other kids had, but Bunny would do his best to show him what it was like to have a parental figure.

A cold nose slowly nudged his face, snapping him out of the trance he'd been in. " Are you OK Cotton Tail? You were quiet there for a few minutes." said Jack. " I'm fine Cobalt. I was just thinking." said Bunny. " About what?" asked Jack.

" You haven't been able to experience a lot of what other kids have and it just dawned on me that you being wrapped in a blanket is one of those things." said Bunny. " But that's OK, because your willing to show me and teach me about things." said Jack. " I am willing." said Bunny. " Did you purposely pick this blanket for me?" asked Jack. " Why do you ask?" asked Bunny.

" Because it has snowflakes on it and little staffs on it that bare a startling resemblance to mine." said Jack.

Bunny lifted his head to look at the blanket and then busted out laughing when he realized that Jack was right. " I did not plan that Cobalt. Even though that's how it turned out." said Bunny. " So I'm assuming that you didn't have that here to begin with?" asked Jack. " Nope. So I guess its a gift from Manny." said Bunny. " Manny?" asked Jack.

" The name of the man in the moon." said Bunny. Jack smiled and Bunny heard him say a quiet thank you. " Where's my staff? I know it was fallowing us with the help of Wind." said Jack.

" It's leaning against the far wall." said Bunny. He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around him.


	13. Chapter 13

**( A.N. Hey Itachikitsune here, this is the last chapter of Cradling The Cold. I hope you've enjoy the story as much as I have. I wanted to give a shout out to an author I just recently found again. I had read one of their Fanfictions before I'd actually known anything about Rise Of The Guardians and that is why I did the part about Jack's staff. That, and I like the thought of Jack feeling physical when his staff is broken. It was also largely hinted at in the movie. Their story is beautifully written and very well put together. I loved it. The story is titled Broken and it's by Rosimae. Anyway, there will be a sequel for this, but I haven't decided on the title yet. I hope you enjoy this chapter.)**

The way they were laying put Jack's face directly in line with Bunny's neck. He buried his face in the fur and Bunny chuckled. " What's so funny?" asked Jack.

" You were worried about me having to hold you all the time and being tied up with you. Cobalt, I think you like burying your face in my fur just as much as I like holding you. And I could never be 'tied up,' with you." said Bunny. Jack blushed bright red at Bunny's words and Bunny tightened his grip gently.

" So, hairless cats don't like you huh?" asked Bunny. " No they don't." said Jack. " I can take a guess on why." said Bunny. " It couldn't possibly be because I give off cold the way a furnace gives off heat could it?" asked Jack. " No, not at all." said Bunny. He felt Jack's eyelids flutter against his fur and the love he felt for the little winter spirit increased. " Are you tired Jack?" asked Bunny. " Yes, I want to sleep." said Jack.

" You have nothing to fear here My Little Ice Child. Sleep if your tired." said Bunny. " Thank you Daddy." said Jack. Bunny was stunned at Jack's words and a wave of protectiveness flooded his body. He wasn't expecting Jack to put a label to their relationship, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

" Bunny, are we still rivals as well as brothers?" asked Jack.

" If you want us to be." said Bunny. " So we're rivals, brothers, as well as father and son. That's not at all confusing or a mouthful." said Jack. " But it works for us." said Bunny. " Yes it does. I've got a question for you." said Jack. " I'm all ears." said Bunny. Jack snorted and Bunny huffed in mock anger. " What's your question Cobalt?" asked Bunny, after a moment. " Do you really think that Manny should've picked me as a guardian?" asked Jack.

" Without a doubt My Little Ice Child. You're better equipped to be a guardian then the rest of us." said Bunny. " You said something along those lines while we were back in Antarctica. What did you mean?" asked Jack. " You can relate to the children in ways that we can't. You're a child just like they are. Not only that, but your around them a lot more then the rest of us are. We tend to keep our distance rather then interact with them directly like you do. The rest of us care about them too obviously, or we wouldn't be guardians." said Bunny. " No one is doubting that you guys care about the children of the world. It is kind of a required trait that all guardians have to possess. You care a tad bit more then the others do though. Minus Sandy that is." said Jack. " Your right. You certainly are protective of the ones you see as family." said Bunny.

Jack's love for his furry father increased as he heard those words and he grinned against his neck. His eyes started fluttering slowly once again and this time, Bunny heard his breathing even out, signaling that he was about to fall asleep. Bunny snuggled down and made himself comfortable, knowing now that Jack wasn't going to fight it anymore. Right before he succumbed to sleep, he spoke. " Daddy, don't ever let me go." said Jack.

" Wouldn't dream of it Cobalt. I'll always be here for you." said Bunny. Jack's eyes closed a couple minutes later and his breathing fully evened out. Bunny listened to him breathe for a little while and thought on all he'd learned about the little winter spirit. His child was an emotional wreck. Bunny knew that there would be times when Jack would question his worth as a guardian and his son. Times would be trying, but Bunny didn't regret the new found closeness he now had with his Little Ice Child. With that last thought, Bunny fallowed Jack into the realm of dreams. Manny watched from above, proud of both his guardians. He was glad that they had both finally found the family they had been longing for. A couple of minutes later, Baby Tooth snuck into the Warren and flew over to her two favorite guardians. She hovered above them, just watching silently. She was amazed that they had both gotten so close to each other in so little time.

With a small squeak, Baby Tooth warmed her way between Jack and Bunny's necks without waking them. She curled up her body and slowly fell asleep herself. Manny looked on, at the small bundle of three, that had warmed their way into his heart, and knew that Bunny would never, could never, regret cradling the cold.


End file.
